The Foreign Ministry supports the campaign “For Ukraine!” via the work of three Estonian NGOs. Funds collected during the campaign will be used to supply Ukraine’s internal refugees with medicines, food packages, winter clothing and other necessities.

According to Foreign Minister Keit Pentus-Rosimannus, the Estonian NGOs charity campaign is a praiseworthy endeavour. “The humanitarian situation in eastern Ukraine is alarming and the people who have fled their homes are in need of wide-ranging help in order to cope. The vast majority of IDPs are women, children and the elderly,” the Foreign Minister said. “The main concerns which the displaced people face are lack of access to social services and long-term housing and medical care is also difficult to access. Also many internal refugees will have to manage in the upcoming cold period,” she added.

The charitable campaign “For Ukraine!” is being organized by the Estonian non-governmental organisations: the NGO Mondo, the NGO Estonian Refugee Council and the NGO Ukrainian Cultural Centre.

The NGO Mondo collected 4640 euros for the charity campaign “For Ukraine!” during October and November. The aid will be directed to inhabitants of the Luhansk region for stocking food parcels and to the Stšastja and Popasna hospitals to acquire medicines.

The NGO Estonian Refugee Council collected 4,713 euros during October and November. The money collected during the campaign will be directed to help alleviate the situation of the most vulnerable (women, children and elderly) IDPs in the region and city of Zaporizhia. The focus is on preparation for winter by providing those in need with winter clothes and other necessary supplies (blankets, bedding and hygiene products, including diapers). In addition, those in need will also be equipped with first-aid bags. The first stage of providing aid was carried out in late November and the next stage is set for December.

According to the latest figures, the NGO Ukrainian Cultural Centre collected a total of 6411 euros during the campaign which will be used to support the treatment of persons injured in eastern Ukraine and to help economically underprivileged families, who have lost a loved one in the conflict. Many of these people are from families with either low or moderate incomes and from smaller towns and villages in Ukraine, where comprehensive treatment and rehabilitation is very hard to access due to a lack of resources and low availability. In addition, the NGO Ukrainian Cultural Centre has initiated collecting winter clothing within the framework of the larger campaign. The most recent figures show that 360 m³ of clothes have been collected through donations.

The Foreign Ministry wishes to support humanitarian aid activities through the campaign “For Ukraine!” with 30 000 euros, providing each of the aforementioned NGOs with 10 000 euros each. In total, the Foreign Ministry has supported Ukraine with nearly one million euros this year.